10 Things I Learned From Dr. Temple Grandin

Dr. Temple Grandin is considered the most accomplished person with autism in the world – she’s a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and has published lots of books and papers about autism and animals. Last week we presented Dr. Grandin at the Y where I work. I’d heard her speak on a panel before, but this time she gave a lecture. Her book “Emergence: Labeled Autistic” was a groundbreaking inside account of growing up with autism, and she’s a leading authority on how to make slaughterhouses more efficient and humane. Some of the things she said were surprising. Some of the things were contrary to popular belief. Everything was insightful and compassionate.

1) Research tips.
At a private talk for high school science students beforehand, she told them how to avoid paying $35 for a journal article:
1) Find out what university the researcher is affiliated with.
2) Go to their website directory and look up their email address.
3) Email them and ask for a copy of the article. Usually the article willl arrive in your email box free of charge.

2) About Einstein…
If Albert Einstein were alive today, he might be diagnosed with Asbergers Syndrome, which is considered an autism spectrum disorder. She believes that many of today’s “computer geeks” are on the autism spectrum.
3) The Squeeze Machine
When she was growing up, she found comfort in a squeeze machine that she designed to surround and confine her, and applied this experience when designing equipment for handling cattle. For both animals and people, deep pressure and being “wrapped” is calming. (My own experience confirms this – my son, who is on the active side, will wrap himself in blankets burrito-style or even crawl under a cushion when he needs to calm himself to go to sleep!)


4) Cattle Call
Half the cattle in the country are handled on equipment that she designed, but “inventing new equipment is easier that training people to use it properly.”

5) More research tips:
When you need to go beyond Google, try these research tools:
1) Pubmed – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
2) Scirus.com - http://www.scirus.com/
3) Google scholar - http://scholar.google.com/
4) search “Inside Books” on Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Search-Inside-Book-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=10197021

6) Tool Talk
A smart bird will make tools. Crows and bluejays will bend a wire to obtain food from the bottom of a tube.


7) Social Skills
She recommends the book “A Five Is Against the Law!” for teaching social skills and manners to people with autism. She also learned social skills by playing board games and reading Dear Abby.


8) Eating Meat
She is often asked why she is not a vegetarian. The answer is that her initial contact with cattle was in Arizona where they had a decent life and received excellent care. She thinks that if her initial encounter had taken place in a substandard facility, she might have taken a different path. Dr. Grandin is also hypoglycemic and feels she would not be as healthy on a diet lower in protein.

9) Outdoor Dogs
Wolves and wild dogs do not travel in mixed “packs” where an “alpha” male is in charge. Instead, they are more likely to stay with their family members until a mate is found.
10) Vet Visit Tips
Fear of falling off the table is the main cause of nervous pets at the vet’s. To make things easier, bring a non-stick mat for them to stand on. Don’t make jerky motions. If you have a bath mat that the pet is familiar with, even better. Hold the animal snugly (but not too tight) during the exam. Allow 20-30 minutes for a panicked animal to calm down.

Dr. Grandin’s new book is “Animals Make Us Human”.